Reviews by Brabander:

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I received a bottle of Ivan the Terrible 2013 as a gift, and finally finding a worthy night to open it, I found it had a near perfect appearance... It's color, the deepest brown, and a thin layer of froth over top of it as if it were espresso, it's a Russian Imperial Stout through and through.

The aroma is rich with the scents of baker's chocolate, molasses, vanilla, bourbon, and cinnamon. A truly enticing bouquet indeed! After a healthy taste, I found the beverage to feel smooth, yet it was a little spicy as well. The bourbon barrel aspect was appropriately present in the foreground and meshing well with the finely crafted stout. The most remarkable thing about this beer I found in the finish. It had a very pleasing 'mineral water' hint, accompanied by a very slight anise element.

Ultimately, I would place this in the upper echelon of barrel aged stouts, and that is really saying something, considering the fine examples of such I have already experienced and reviewed.

2013 #2655 of 3000. Purchased off dry shelf in October of 2014 within days of distribution (I work there). Kept ~60 deg after. Opened today (July 18).

No carbonation on pull. None on pour save for a dozen bubbles on the sizes of the glass. Chocolate and caramel color. Smells of alcoholic stone fruit and fruity chocolate. Flat and syrupy on the tongue. Sour like early blackberries and then sour like cheap candy. Finishes tongue curdling.
You get a bad bottle every once in a while. This is the 2nd from Big Sky iI have gotten after their Kriek. I've had some great ones from them, too: Ivan the Terrible (not aged) and Moose Drool. Just FYI to all the BAs.

Poured into an imperial nonic near jet black,you had to hold it up to bright light to get a little ruddy hue at the bottom of the glass to get thru the pitch blackness.Toasted bourbon barrel hits upfront in the nose than some vanilla and alcohol dipped dark fruit,the roast is a bit subdued but its rich in the nose.Toasty with big bourbon notes on the palate but it doesnt overpower,lingering dark fruit and dark roast coffee does show thru.A little sharp in the mouthfeel,this beer would be off the charts with a fuller feel.A really good if not great imperial stout,so close...so close.

A - Pours black with one finger of light brown head. Head has nice retention and leaves sheets of lacing.

S - Chocolate and coffee are prominent initially, along with roasted malts. Vanilla and bourbon are present but pretty subtle.

T - The biggest difference between the aroma and taste is a nice hop bitterness. While it is a big component of the taste, the bitterness is nicely balanced by the coffee and roasted malt. Also some anise in the taste. Vanilla and bourbon are well integrated. Lots of oak on the finish. Almost no heat. Very nice.

M - Medium mouthfeel with a dry oak finish. Definitely on the lighter side for the style but I think it works well here.

O - Very enjoyable. This doesn't hit you over the head with anything, but is a well integrated bourbon barrel aged stout. Glad I got to try this.

I have had this beer several times over the last few years, and each time it has amazed me. My most recent experience was a 2009 bottle at a tasting.

A: Just what you'd expect - super dark with a tannish head.

S: The right roasty stout smell accented by vanilla and bourbon from the barrel, along with toffee and caramel. Among the most delicious beers I've ever smelled.

T: The taste is right in line with the smell, the right balance of all of the vanilla, roast, caramel, toffee and bourbon. Simply amazing.

M: Silky smooth, and surprisingly drinkable for such a big beer. Sometimes these big barrel aged stouts go overboard with a beer that seems like it needs to be chewed, but I think Big Sky hit just the right balance with this one. Most likely the carbonation level is the reason this beer seems just perfect.

Bottle 1,173 of 3,000. The beer pours black with a brown head. The aroma is great and very complex. I get notes of dark fruit, alcohol, vanilla, chocolate and some light whiskey notes. The flavor is brown sugar, caramel, toffee, vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. This is an excellent beer.

The bourbon is more subuded in the flavor compared to the aroma, letting the rich roast character and dark chocolate elements shine through. A mild vanilla and earthy bourbon note present, especially as the beer warms. That being said, the beer gets better and better as it reaches warmer and warmer temperatures.

Medium to thick bodied with low to moderate carbonation.

A truly wonderful example, and nearly perfect within style. This was the only beer I sought out multiple times during the Stone Pour It Black event. If I had known better, I would have had less Mikkeller and more Ivan the Terrible, that's for sure!